This is the dilemma facing thousands of people right now.

This was our dilemma at the end of July last year as we prepared for Daisy and Mark’s wedding on their property in Mazama.

We were camping with Flo and had Sophie and Roland with us, so it was a no brainer. We had to leave. We packed up with plans to change the wedding venue to North bend. The next few weeks were a whirlwind of planning. What a fun wedding it was too.

Daisy’s neighbor, Donni stayed and with help of neighbors kept the perimeter of her property damp using a hose. She also moved all her toys and dirt bikes to keep them safe.

The fire that moved a wedding!

Dawn update

It has been almost a year since diagnosis and surgery what a day that was! Thinking I had vertigo but was told I had 2 lemon sized tumors on my brain. Plus, they were malignant!!! I said to him, “are you joking?” “No,” he said, “this is a life changer, terminal brain cancer.” How scary!

Read my blog for what happened next.

My purpose here is to acknowledge all the love and support I have received in this journey. I could not have done it without you. You have no idea how grateful I am to be here 12 months later and my last MRI showing stable.

My gratitude to:

• Dave, my constant companion
• My friends who come and keep me company if Dave has to leave.
• My wonderful children who visit all the time to keep my spirits up. Making sure I am not alone.
• My five grandchildren who are my reminders of what I have to live for. How lucky am I?
• My family who have travelled from Australia, Scotland, England, Germany, and Canada to support me.
• All the prayer warriors who send out their positive energy.
• Meditation and breath work help me to relax when I get stressed.
• Netflix for the between times when Dave needs to work.
• My care team who check in on me and respond to my questions.
• Willing hands to help me go on wheelchair walks, river fun, paddle bards, and bathroom runs – which sometimes end up as adventures of their own😂
• North bend. How did we end up in such a beautiful place? The view from my sofa alone sustains me.
• My phone is my communication tool.

So, do I stay and keep the fire at bay, or do I abandon ship?
Honestly some of my darker days, when I think about what I no longer can do, I want to abandon. But then I look at what I have to stay for and choose that.
Thank you everyone for your love and support. I know I said in a previous post that I was not going to say fight, but now I have the resources to slow this cancer thanks to all the people above. I am going to hang on and proverbially dampen the fire a little while longer.

Outside podcast June 29th “what it feels like to fight a wildfire”

Check out this story about a retired firefighter who chose to stay and fight despite authorities asking them to get out. He disagreed and there is evidence to support his view. Listen to the podcast to find out. https://www.outsideonline.com/podcast/what-it-feels-like-to-fight-a-wildfire/